


Damage Control

by mammothluv



Category: Wire in the Blood
Genre: F/F, Female Characters, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-09
Updated: 2010-03-09
Packaged: 2017-10-07 19:58:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/68689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mammothluv/pseuds/mammothluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex and Paula develop a habit that's hard to break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damage Control

**Author's Note:**

> Wire in the Blood belongs to Val McDermid and Costal Productions. I'm not making any profit and no copyright infringement is intended. Minor spoilers for season 4.

It's a bad idea sleeping with the boss. Paula's always known that in theory but Alex is the first time she's had a chance to test the belief in person.

D.I. Alex Fielding hasn't even been at Bradfield CID a month the first time they end up in a locked supply closet with Paula's hands up Alex's skirt. They agree then that, amazing as the sex is, they can't let it happen again. They manage to go a few weeks before they find themselves right back in the same closet hastily buttoning and smoothing clothes and muttering promises that it will be the last time.

It never is.

Usually it's in the middle of a tough case when Alex is too keyed up and edgy to go straight home and Paula is pushing herself to the point of exhaustion rather than risk wasting valuable time with sleep. Alex will linger just a little longer than necessary getting ready to go home, find a way to get Paula alone, preferably somewhere with a lock on the door. Depending on her mood, Paula might make it easy. She might make a show of walking to the supply closet or a currently deserted office to retrieve some file and then wait patiently for Alex to follow.

Other times she makes Alex work for it. Those are the times Alex is just a little bit rougher when she slams Paula against the wall, a little more urgent as she rips open the buttons on Paula's jeans. Now that Paula's figured that out, sometimes she does it on purpose.

Tonight they've traded in the supply room for Alex's office. Definitely still a bad idea Paula thinks, perhaps even worse than usual since Alex's office is in a relatively high traffic area even in the middle of the night. But, as Alex bites down on Paula's shoulder to keep herself from crying out as Paula enters her with three fingers, Paula is reminded that even bad ideas have their upsides.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Alex says, her voice husky from exertion. "Because this is fantastic but, later we can pretend like none of it happened, yeah?"

This isn't anywhere near the first time they've done this and still Alex always asks. As if Paula might someday say no and shout it to all of Bradfield CID, "I'm shagging the boss."

"Yeah," Paula replies, her mouth just inches from Alex's ear. "We always do." Until the next time, she thinks to herself, but doesn't risk saying out loud. She gets the feeling Alex always likes to think it's the last time, needs to feel like she's in control of whatever this is between them. Paula doesn't see any reason to challenge that even though she herself has long accepted that this isn't just some workplace fling they'll get out of their systems with a few quick shags.

Right now, though, Paula isn't thinking about the logistics of their relationship. She's concentrating on the feel of Alex's nails as they rake along her back and the familiar hitch in Alex's breathing that means Paula's fingers have found just the right angle.

Paula has Alex pressed against the far wall of Alex's office just behind a filing cabinet. The windows at the front of Alex's office don't have blinds so only the filing cabinet blocks them from the view of anyone who might walk by the office. It's late and almost no one's around but it's still risky. Honestly, Paula thinks Alex gets off on it, the threat of being discovered.

Alex confirms this suspicion when they hear footsteps outside and Alex responds by biting down on her lip to silence herself but rocking just a little harder against Paula's hand. Paula allows herself a smug smile as she quickens her pace to match Alex's. This is just one of many things that no longer surprises Paula about her boss.

Alex is constantly surprising her both in their private moments and on the job. She's brilliant and just a little bit wicked and never does quite what Paula expects.

Paula has to be careful not to let herself think she could love Alex. That's not what this is. This is damage control, self-preservation. It's an instinctual drive to feel something good when the job brings horrors that threaten to invade every corner of their being. Sometimes Paula wonders if the job means she'll never manage anything more.

But as Alex comes, shuddering around Paula's fingers and collapsing against the wall so that Paula's weight against her is the only thing that's holding her up, Paula can't help but think this is enough for now.


End file.
